Elisabeth Belpaire, Switzerland/Belgium
President (2024-2027), Executive Committee Member

Elisabeth Belpaire is an engineer architect, an urban and spatial planner and brings over 25 years of experience; architecture, urban planning, design and governance in Belgium, France, Switzerland.

Elisabeth Belpaire is an engineer architect, an urban and spatial planner and brings over 25 years of experience: architecture, urban planning, design and governance in Belgium, France, Switzerland; sustainable development and disaster risk reduction with UN-Habitat in Vietnam, management of post-conflict programmes and creation of a new strategic integrated planning system in Kosovo; development of a regional capacity building instrument addressing housing & informal settlements with South-East Europe governments and partners; regeneration of West Bank historical centres; design of a Foundation’s strategy for cities to support healthy childhood development; inputs to the public space department of Bogota and to 15-min neighbourhood concept; contributing to Global State of National Urban Policy Programme and the Mentor Student Research Lab on the public spaces of tomorrow ; co-initiator of ISOCARP ‘Community of Practice on Urban Health’ . Her talk s in Chicago, London, New -Zealand and at TEDx Geneva, bring attention to the health and well-being of our young, and how cities can enable them to thrive, especially since too often they fall through the crack s of city planning and management.

Elisabeth holds a M.Sc. in Engineering Architecture from Gent University and an Advanced M.Sc. in Urban and Regional Planning from Leuven University in Belgium.

Guy Vloebergh

Guy Vloebergh is a senior urban and regional planner with over 40 years of experience in strategic spatial planning and policy. He lectures at the University of Antwerp and specializes in complex planning processes, regulatory frameworks, and environmental mediation.

Guy Vloebergh brings over 40 years of experience in spatial planning as a senior planner at OMGEVING. He has contributed to numerous spatial structure plans, zoning plans, urban development strategies, feasibility studies, and complex planning processes, mostly within Belgium. Since 1984, he has worked across regional, provincial, and municipal levels.

Alongside his professional practice, Guy is Senior Lecturer and Guest Professor in the Master’s program in Urbanism and Spatial Planning at the University of Antwerp, where he also serves on the education committee. He also teaches at the Faculty of Law in the microcredential program in Environmental Mediation. He has published widely and is the founding chair of the Flemish Association for Space and Planning (VRP).

As a certified spatial planner, Guy combines a deep understanding of planning instruments with extensive knowledge of regulatory frameworks. His experience as a mediator in complex cases highlights his ability to guide challenging decision-making processes.

The Board is the governing body of ISOCARP. It develops policies and proposes these at the Annual General Meeting of the ISOCARP Members. Members elect Board members for three years. The President serves one term, all other Board Members are able to serve for two terms. The President, Secretary General and three other members of the Board form the Executive Committee (ExCom), charged with the daily general management of the society:

Executive Committee:
Elisabeth Belpaire – President
Guy Vloebergh – Secretary General
Markus Appenzeller – Treasurer
Tijana Tufek Memišević
Wafa Al-Daily
Jua Cilliers
Abdulaziz Nasser Aldusari
Greg H. Mews
Hope Magidimisha-Chipungu
Funmilayo Tokunbo Modebola-Fadimine
SHI Nan

Markus Appenzeller, Netherlands/Germany (2023-2026), Treasurer, Executive Committee Member

Practitioner, educator, and thinker with 20+ years of experience in urbanism, architecture, and landscape design worldwide. Focus on transformative changes of cities, climate, and the way we collaborate.

Markus Appenzeller (*1972)Urbanist – Educator – Writer

From the onset of his career, Markus has been working on the edge of architecture, landscape and planning. Working for the Office of Metropolitan Architecture and KCAP Architects & Planners, he was leading large scale urban planning as well as architectural projects in Europe, America, Africa and Asia. 2012 he founded MLA+ as a multidisciplinary architecture, planning and consultancy practice with offices in Rotterdam, Berlin and Shenzhen. Markus has developed special expertise in urban regeneration, climate adaptive urban planning and design in fast growing cities and urban regions.

MLA+ is focusing on the big questions of our time: transformative changes of our cities, climate change and the way we collaborate in city making. Past and current projects include: The Olympic Legacy Masterplan for London, a city development strategy for Ekaterinburg, Water as Leverage in Semarang, Indonesia, Xaiomeisha Coastal Protection Plan in Shenzhen, China and the extension of Greater Accra Region in Ningo Prampram, Ghana.

Besides his professional activities, Markus is active as an educator and adviser. After teaching at Berlage Institute in Rotterdam, Urban Transformation School in St. Petersburg and Moscow School of Architecture, in 2017, he has been appointed as dean of the urbanism program at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture.

Markus has published numerous texts on urban planning and design topics, most recently on planning in the post—soviet space, on the City of Shenzhen, on the London Olympic Legacy and on current spatial debates on his blog The Daily Urban Dose.

Tijana Tufek Memišević, United States/Bosnia and Herzegovina (2023-2026), Executive Committee Member

Dr. Tijana Tufek Memisevic is an international expert in sustainable urban development and urban climate resilience. She combines practical industry knowledge with global academic experience, having taught at universities in Sarajevo, Cracow, and Chicago. Her work spans applied research, policy advising, and cross-sector collaboration aimed at advancing practical strategies for sustainable development.

Dr. Tijana Tufek Memisevic is an international expert in sustainable urban development and urban climate resilience. She holds a Ph.D. in Urban Planning from the Cracow University of Technology and a Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Sarajevo. She combines practical industry knowledge with global academic experience, having taught at universities in Sarajevo, Cracow, and Chicago. Her work spans applied research, policy advising, and cross-sector collaboration aimed at advancing practical strategies for sustainable development.

She serves as Sustainable Urban Development Advisor at the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development and teaches courses on green cities and urban sustainability at DePaul University in Chicago. She is also actively engaged in climate and sustainability initiatives within the American Planning Association (APA).

As a Board and Scientific Committee Member of the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), she leads the organization’s global Awards and Publications program and contributes to initiatives on regenerative urbanism, climate action, and disaster risk reduction. She has spearheaded international platforms fostering interdisciplinary research exchange and publication in the Western Balkans. Her work bridges academia, practice, and policy to advance climate-smart, inclusive, and future-ready cities.

Jua Cilliers, Brisbane, Australia, (2025-2028), Executive Committee Member

Professor Jua Cilliers is an international expert in sustainable urban planning and climate-resilient cities. She combines senior academic leadership with global professional practice, working across research, policy, and international partnerships to advance nature-positive, socially inclusive, and impactful urban development.

Jua Cilliers is Professor of Urban Planning and Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Design and Society at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), with more than 20 years’ experience across planning practice, academia, and international advisory work. Based in Australia and with professional roots in South Africa, she brings deep expertise in sustainable urbanism, climate resilience, green infrastructure, and community development, informed by long-standing collaboration across the Commonwealth, Europe, and the Pacific.

Jua is professionally registered with the South African Council for Planners (SACPLAN), a Certified Practising Planner with the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA), and a member of the South African Planning Institute. At UTS she has held senior leadership roles including Head of the School of Built Environment and Director of the Green Infrastructure Research Lab, and now leads faculty-wide research strategy, governance, partnerships, and capacity building across diverse disciplines.

She currently serves as President of the Commonwealth Association of Planners (CAP), representing 40+ national planning organisations. Jua has also contributed to ISOCARP as an Advisory Board member (2021–2022), inaugural Curator of the Cyber Agora, and Scientific Committee member.

Gregor H. Mews, Brisbane, Australia, (2025-2028), Executive Committee Member

Dr Gregor H. Mews is an urban and regional planner, environmental designer and academic specialising in urban health, public space, and regenerative design. With global experience across sectors, he advances community-centred, equitable planning agendas and leads research on the complexities of intercultural urban futures.

Dr Gregor H. Mews is an urban and regional planner, environmental designer, researcher, and educator with over two decades of international experience working across academia, government, NGOs, and industry. He teaches in Urban Design and Town Planning at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Dr Mews brings more than two decades of global experience bridging academia, research, policy, and practice across Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Australia. His work advances socially just, health-oriented and environmentally responsive urban development — focusing on public space, urban health, play, and more-than-human design.

He has held leadership roles, including Executive Director of Urban Synergies Group, Co-Founder and Director of the Australian Institute of Play, Council Board Member of City Space Architecture, and Steering Committee Member of UN‑Habitat World Urban Campaign and their Public Space Program.

Dr Mews has taught, lectured, or collaborated with multiple universities, including Yale University, University of Canberra, Queensland University of Technology and Technical University of Berlin. His academic and professional trajectory reflects a commitment to bridging rigorous research with applied innovation to support governments and communities in delivering transformative processes and outcomes, as evidenced by more than 20 international, national, and local awards, as well as speaking engagements, including TEDx talks, for his scholarly contributions and societal impact.

He is the author of several influential publications, including Transforming Public Space through Play (2022) and Flux Cities: Ontological Design for a Regenerative World (2025). His research has informed international urban policy debates, participatory design initiatives, and public-space strategies in contexts ranging from informal settlements to the hyper complexity of urban systems and UNESCO biosphere reserves.

Renowned for his holistic, creative and innovative approach to urban design, Dr Mews combines academic rigour with pragmatic, cross-sector collaboration, offering policymakers, planners, and government stakeholders an evidence-informed vision for regenerative, healthy, equitable, more-than-human places.

Hope Magidimisha-Chipungu, South Africa, (2025-2028), Executive Committee Member

Professor Hope Magidimisha-Chipungu is an academic in the Discipline of Town and Regional Planning, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). She is an NRF-rated researcher. She is currently appointed as a National Planning Commissioner at the office of the presidency. She is also the first black South African born women to be appointed as a full Professor in Town and Regional Planning In South Africa . 

She is also an alternate chair person for SACPLAN and Chair person for Transformation committee within SACPLAN. She is currently serving as ISOCARP board member where is currently a Director for young planners programme. She served as a co-general rapporteur for 57th ISOCARP Congress hosted in Doha. Prof Magidimisha -Chipungu was amember of ISOCARP scientific committee. She is a senior editor for journal of climate interaction published by Tylor and Francis, UK. She is Chief Editor of the Journal of Inclusive Cities and Built Environment. She continues serving on several boards locally and internationally with a focus on the built environment. She has won numerous excellent awards, including the Vice-Chancellor Research Award at the University of Kwazulu-Natal. She is also recognized by The Planner Magazine (for the Royal Institute of Town Planner) based in the UK as the most influential woman in 2021and 2024.  

Shi Nan, China (2023-2026)

Dr. Shi Nan has over 30 years planning experiences specialized in policy analysis and master planning. Shi Nan is the Executive President and Secretary General of Urban Planning Society of China (UPSC), the national academic and professional organization of China.

Dr Shi Nan is the Vice President and Secretary General of the Urban Planning Society of China, Vice Director of the National Steering Board for Planning Education, National Commission for Planning Education Accreditation and National Board for Certified Planner System. His 30-year career in the planning area has focused on policy analysis and city master planning, which has seen him actively involved in major planning and research projects including Revision of National Planning Act of the People’s Republic of China, National Standard for Planning Terminology, Innovation in Master Planning, etc. In addition, Dr Shi Nan has worked with major international organizations such as the World Bank, UN-Habitat, the UNDP, British Council and Rockefellers Foundations, and is the elected Vice President of the International Society of City and Regional Planners.

A respected author of several books, including THE STATE OF CHINA’S CITIES, SOME OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING CHINA’S URBAN DEVELOPMENT,  Dr Shi Nan’s column for the respected academic journal the CITY PLANNING REVIEW, of which he is the chief editor, is the most popular planning literature in China. Dr Shi Nan is a professor at universities including Renmin University of China, Harbin Institute of Technology, Nanjing University, Tongji University, and the National Training Center for Mayors of China. His professional background includes Senior Planner at China Academy of Urban Planning & Design, Advisory to the City of Guangzhou, Xi’an, Dalian, Harbin, Shijiazhuang etc. He is a Council Member of China Association of Science and Technology.

Contact details:

+86-10-5832-3851 (T)
+86-10-5832-3850 (F)
+86-13801125011(M)
shinan@china.com
weibo.com/shinanchina

Wafa Al-Daily, United States (2023-2026), Executive Committee Member

Dr. Wafa Al-Daily is a senior urban planner, a researcher, a lecturer, and an international development expert with a demonstrated working history for about two decades in academia, government agencies, NGOs, CBOs, local communities, and the private sector in the USA and the MENA region.

Dr. Wafa Al-Daily is a senior urban planner, a researcher, a lecturer, and an international development expert with a demonstrated working history for about two decades in academia, government agencies, NGOs, CBOs, local communities, and the private sector in the USA and the MENA region. She is experienced in urbanization, metropolitan planning, management and governance, urban recovery, smart/sustainable development, e/governance, DRRM, and informal settlements. She also has extensive management experience in international education and program administration and partnership development, global initiatives, capacity building, grants writing and implementation, and strategic planning. She is passionate about inclusive planning and has dedicated part of her professional career journey to supporting underserved and marginalized populations. Her experience spans a variety of groups, including women, youth, immigrants, people with disabilities, and indigenous peoples in both the USA and the MENA region.

Dr. Al-Daily is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of EHAAR International, LLC. (a consultancy firm with a social and humanitarian mission that focuses on urban development and urban recovery issues). She is the Lead of the International Metropolitan Fellowship Arabia Chapter and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Metropolitan Fellowship. She is an affiliated member, fellow and researcher of a number of centers and institutes, including the Center for Cooperative Problem Solving and Institute for Policy and Governance at Virginia Tech University in the USA, International Metropolitan Fellowship in Spain, American Planning Association in the USA, International Society of City and Regional Planners in the Netherlands, Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Germany, Gulf International Forum in the USA, and NAFSA Academy for International Education) in the USA. She has worked in a consulting capacity with a number of organizations, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), URBAConsulting/World Bank Group (WBG), Social Fund for Development (SFD), and Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).

Dr. Al-Daily was a recipient of prestigious awards and fellowships including the American Association of University Women International Fellowship and Who’s Who Among Students in the American Universities and Colleges. She was nominated for the President’s Award for Excellence and the Alumni Award for International Outreach at Virginia Tech University in 2020.

Dr. Al-Daily is a certified practitioner of Kirton Adoption-Innovation (KAI) Inventory Problem Solving and Cognitive Style, and a facilitator of intergroup dialogue and human relations. She earned a Ph.D. in Planning, Governance and Globalization from Virginia Tech (USA), a Master of City and Regional Studies from Rutgers University (USA), a Non-degree Diploma in Urban Planning and Community Development from Rutgers University (USA), and a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from Sana’a University (Yemen). You can contact Wafa Al-Daily via aldaily@isocarp.org

Funmilayo Modebola-Fadimine, Nigeria (2023-2026), Executive Committee Member

Funmilayo Tokunbo Modebola-Fadimine is an experienced licensed urban planner with vast knowledge of urban planning and development, with over 15 years to her credit. She is presently a Deputy Director with the Ondo State Government, and she is a community mobilizer, negotiator, and stakeholder engagement specialist with a passion for rural and urban revitalization and development, focusing on infrastructure financing and livelihood enhancement, and is very vocal about sustainable urban development in Africa.

Funmilayo Modebola-Fadimine is an urban planner, a GIS expert, and a certified trainer with over 15 years of experience in public service, facilitating major developmental projects, implementing effective and sustainable urban design solutions, and heading regional government monitoring and enforcement teams to ensure compliance with building regulations and standards. She is a community mobilizer, negotiator, and stakeholder engagement specialist with a passion for rural and urban revitalization and development, focusing on livelihood enhancement. She is a Deputy Director in the Ondo State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and also functions as the GIS officer, EIB-Assisted Climate Adaptation Nigerian Erosion and Watershed Project (NEWMAP-EIB) funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and supervised by UNOPS.

Funmilayo holds an MSC in Urban Management and Development from IHS, Erasmus University, the Netherlands, an MSC in Geographical Information Systems, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and a PGD in Urban and Regional Planning, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria.

She is the General Secretary of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, (NITP), Ondo State Chapter, Chair of the International Conferences and Linkages Committee, Secretary of NITP Advisory Council, South-West Coordinator of the NITP Presidential Greenery Committee, and had served as the National Financial Secretary of NITP. She is very vocal about sustainable urban development in Africa.